Plate clamp and headline marker for printing presses



July 29. 1924.

G. W. SWIFT. JR

PLATE CLAMP AND HEADLINE MARKER FOR PRINTING PRESSES Filed July 6. 192$!atented July 29, 1924.

'TATEQS PATENT oFF cE,

eEoEeE r SWIFT, an, on BO'RDENTOWN, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR To GEORGE w.

' SWIFT, .13.,

JERSEY.

me, or BORDENTOWN, NEW JERSEY, A COR ORA ION OF NEW PLATE CLAMP AnnHEADLINE MARKER FOR IRINTING rR ssEs.

'Application filed July 6,

T 0 all whom it may concern. 7

I Be it known that I, GEORG W. SWIFT, Jr., a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Bordentown, county of Burlington and State of Newderseyyhave invented certain new and useful Improvements in Plate Clampsand Headline Markers for Printing Presses, of which the following is aspecification. I

This invention relates more especially to plate clamps and headlinemarkers for printing presses inwhich a plate cylinder or other printing.plate support is provided with a series of slots or grooves wherebysuitable securing means may be used for fastening the plates inposition. One ofthe objects of the present invention is to provide aplate. clamping bar of improved construction invirtue of which said barmay be automatically interlocked'with its cylin- 'der or other supportor disengaged therefrom by a simple movement of insertion or removaLAnotherobject'of my invention is to provide a headline marker ofimproved construction which may be readily and economically manufacturedand which may be readily inserted or removed or adjusted in position.Other and further objects will appear in the specification and bepointed out in the appended claims, referencebeing had to theaccompanying drawings in which my invention is shown in a preferredembodiment. I In the drawings p Figure 1 is an end elevation of a print-"ing press cylinder, parts being broken away and parts shown in sectionto show one adaptation of my invention; I

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary section of the same;

Figure3 is a perspective View on'an enlarged scale of one end of myimproved plate clamping bar; r Figure at is a similar perspective Viewof one end of the headline marker detached. In securing a number ofstereotype plates upon a cylinder it is customary to arrange the platesequidistant upon the-cylinder surface and to anchor them in position bymeans of bolts mounted in grooves which Y extend longitudinally of thecylinder. In

some of these grooves are-anchored headline 1923. Serial No. 649,861.

time, it is the common practice to have these headline bars secured tothe cylinder within counter-sunk grooves and in such a way that whena-new set of plates or forms are to be placed upon the cylinder, it isnecessary to remove a large number of securing screws before moving thebars and then to replace the screws 'for holdingthem solid. In largecylinders upon which -a number of plates are mounted this taking off andputting back of'headline bars requires a great deal of time. In somecases several'hours are consumed in removing one 'set of plates andmounting another" set.

It is also common practice at the present t meto mount headline markersupon these headline bars in various inconvenient ways.

For example, tongues or strips of metal are 7 fastened to one ormore ofthe plate clamps at the edges of the forms and so shaped'as to extendover the headline bars so as to make the desired indicating marksbetween printed forms produced by the press;

- Referring now to the drawings, a printing press cylinder'l isordinarily provided with longitudinally extending T-slots or grooves 2which are adapted'to receive suitable bolts for clamping stereotypeplates or the like in position upon the printing cylinder. According tothe present embodiment of my invention this cylinder is provided withgrooves 3 substantially rectangular in cross section, said grooves beingarranged approximately equidistant from each other around theperipheryof the cylinder.

As shown best in Figure 2, a lateral wall of each of the grooves-3 isprovided with a part circular recess 4 extending'longitudinally of thegroove 3 and conforming in cross section to a Seriesof ball latches 5which are arranged in cylindrical cells 6 at suitable intervalsalong andwithin a plate clamping bar 7. The ball 5'is confined within the recess6 by havingthe opening into said recess made slightly Smaller than thediameter of the ball. Preferably, this 'may be done by peening overthemetalflar'ound theedgeof said opei'iing' after the ball has beeninserted. In order to y-ieldably retain the ball in its outwardlydisplaced position, the helical spring 8 is interposedbetween the ball 5and the end wall of said recess. As thus constructed, the plate clampingbar 7 is adapted to be introduced by an'endwise bottom surface of theplate clamping bar 1 For thisfpurpose, a rectangular recess 14 e thehorizontal wall of this recess.

is formed in and extends thruout the length oi saidbar. The groove 12 isformed in The headline marker is preferably constructed of a single,piece of resilient metal having a loan gitudinal bend 15' extendingthruout its length. The lower edge loot this strip is adapted. toslidably engagethe outer lateral *wall of the tongue 13 and to besocketed in the longitudinal groove 1 2.v The other edge ofsaid strip is.provided with displaced por- .tion's ;1 7;- and,18, the former beingpresented upwardly to constitute the headline marker,

the. latter being presented downwardly and paral'lel to the edge 16 ofthe strip for con- .stituting therewith yieldable clamping means forreleasably "engaging the tongue 13. From the foregoing description itwill be v.olovious that the plate clamping bar"? automaticallyinterlocks with the cylinder or support 1 asit is being inserted intothe groove 8- and may be as readily removed without the necessity ofmanipulating various fastenin-g devices. Itv will be obvious furthermorethat theheadline marker yield ably. grips the tongue 13 in such a waythat it may be readily connected to or disconnectedfrom the plateclamping bar by a sim le movement and at the same time ma 3 be adjustedlongitudinally thereof to meet v any desired requirements.

I claim: 1. .In. a headlinemarker for printing presses, the combinationwith. a supporting bar, ofia marker provided-with resilient portionsyieldably engaging said supporting bar and having headline markingportions projecting therefrom. I

2.111 a headline. marker. for printing presses, the combination with asupporting bar provided with parallel grooves, of a headline, markerprovided with resilient flangesyieldably engaging said bar within =sa dgrooves and having,headhnemarlnng portions pro ecting therefrom.

3. In, a printing press, the combination --With a, supporting barprovided with parallel; grooves arrangediat different distances from thebottom surface of said bar, of a headline marker provided with.resilient flanges of different depths yieldably clamping the tongue ofmaterial between said grooves and having headline marking portionsprojecting there-from.

i. In a printing press, the combination with a removable supporting bar,of a headline marker resiliently engaging said supporting bar andprovided with a headline marking portion terminating at the printingsurface. p

5.111 a printing press, the combination with a removable supporting barof a headline marker provided with resilient means yieldably grippingsaid bar and with a headline marker terminating at the printing surface.

6. In a printing press, the combination with a supporting bar providedwith groovesarranged at diflerent elevations with respect to the bottomof said bar, of a headline marker provided with resilient flangesyieldably engaging the walls of said grooves and with a headline markingportion extending to the printingsurface. s

7. In a printing press, the combination with a, supporting bar providedwith grooves, arranged at diflerent elevations with respect to thebottom of said bar, of a headline marker constructed. of resilient.metal and comprising. a flange socketed. in

one of said grooves, a portion extending transverselybetweensaldgrooves, and .a second headline marking flange provided witha displaced portion thereof; socketed in the.

other of said grooves.

8. A headline marker comprisinginsa .single piece laterally spacedresilient flanges adapted to yieldably grip a. suitable support thereforand a projecting flange constituting a headline marker.

9. headline marker for printing presses consisting of a strip ofresilient sheetmetal having a longitudinal bend therein, the edge ofsaid strip onone sideof said bend having portions extending upwardly anddownwardly and constituting respectively headline marking means andmeans cooperating with the other edge of the strip for. yieldablygripping a suitable support.

10. Aplate clamp andheadline marker for printing presses comprising aplate-clamping bar provided with means :for yieldably engaging a wall ofa slotted support. and a headline marker provided with resilient;

flanges for yieldably gripping .said support.

11. In a printing press, a support provided with a slot, a plateclampingbar fitting into said slotand provided with means yieldably interlockingtherewith, and a headline marking device yieldably gripping saidplate-clamping bar.

12. In a printing press, the combination witha printing platesupportprovided with a groove, of a plate-clamping bar automatia groove,of a plate-clamping bar automati-' cally interlocking with sald platesupport as it is introduced into said groove, and a head-.

line marker. yieldablygripping said plate-, clamping bar, said headlinemarker having a slidable connection with said bar for permittingrelative adjustment without removal from the bar. I

14. In a printing press, the combination with a rotary platecylinderprovided with a longitudinal groove, of a plate-clamping bar slidableendwise into and out of said groove, and means automaticallyinterlocking between said plate-clamping bar and a wall of said groove.

15. In a printing press, the combination with a printing plate supporthaving a groove providedwith a longitudinal recess, of a plate-clampingbar movable into and out of position in said groove, a latch yieldablyengaging said bar within said recess, and a headlinerinarker yieldablygripping said bar.

16. In a printing press, the combination with a printing plate supporthaving a groove provided with a longitudinal recess, of a plate-clampingbar, a plurality of spring-pressed balls mounted in longitudinal serieswithin cells formed in said bar, said balls automatically interlockingwith the wall of said longitudinal recess as the bar is positioned insaid groove, and a headline marker carried by said plate-clamping bar.

GEORGE W. SWIFT, JR.

